Arrangement for, and method of, processing products associated with RFID tags and bar code symbols at the same workstation

Abstract

A workstation has a metallic housing for supporting an electro-optical reader for reading bar code symbols. A radio frequency (RF) antenna of an RF identification (RFID) reader for reading RFID tags is mounted in a metallic container that is connected to the housing. The RF antenna radiates RF energy at a frequency greater than 900 MHz through RF excitation slots formed between the container and the housing.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present disclosure relates generally to an arrangement for, and a method of, processing products associated with bar code symbols and / or radio frequency (RF) identification (RFID) tags, and, more particularly, to a point-of-transaction, checkout workstation through which the products are passed and processed, while the associated symbols and / or RFID tags are read at the same workstation.[0002]In the retail industry, it is known to read targets, such as one-dimensional bar code symbols, particularly of the Universal Product Code (UPC) type, and two-dimensional bar code symbols, such as Quick Response (QR) codes, associated with, or borne on, retail products or items that are passed through, and processed by, various types of workstations, such as a flat bed scanner having a single horizontal window, or a vertical slot scanner having a single upright window, or a bi-optical scanner having dual horizontal and upright windows. Each such workstation c...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention relates to a point-of-transaction workstation that can read both bar code symbols and RFID tags on products or items that are passed through the workstation. The workstation is equipped with a single reader that can read both symbols and RFID tags simultaneously, eliminating the need for two separate readers and reducing the time and labor involved in the checkout process. The RFID reader is integrated with the symbol reader, and the metal housing walls of the workstation do not attenuate or block the RF interrogating and return waves, ensuring accurate tag reading performance. The technical effect of the invention is to expedite the overall checkout process and improve operational efficiency for retailers and customers.

Problems solved by technology

Although the known symbol and RFID readers are generally satisfactory for their intended reading purposes, the operator needs to operate two different readers at two different times. This not only requires a skilled operator, but also slows down the checkout process, which is undesirable not only from the retailer's, but also from the customer's, point of view.

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